St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-20

WHO pullilS dlll
the general plans of conducting cam
paigns. They related how the thousand
and one minor offices were farmed out
in payment for political services, and
how this man and that man was used as
a sucker for pulling their chestnuts
out of the fire. After each had related
some little Renaissance they all
laughed heartily, and if the stool
pigeons who are drawing their daily Sus-
tenence from the state treasury as re-
ward for performing some small piece
of dirty work in the interest of the g. O..
D. could have heard the estimation
placed upon their characters by these
manipulatOrs of our political machin-
cry, they would feel like hiding them
selves and repeating:
''What fools we mOrtalS be-"
"Why," said one of the group, 'lGok
at the horde of small fry. pot house pO-
litical sQuibS who are holding down the
position of wheat weighers, wheat in
SpectOrs, ETC., the majority of whom
couldn't tell No. wheat from No. g."
Eyes, and the strangeSt part of it is,
the majority of these appointeeS are
from single county, Blue Earth" re-
piled another of the party. =
Speaking of Blue Earth county,
continued still another, reminds me OF
question once propounded that could
not clearly answer, but l think l can
understand it now, and that is, why
Blue Earth county, possessing SO many
diversified natural resources, with Mall
katO town of over 10000 Inhabitants,
as factor, never exercised any partic-
ular amount of influence in our state
politics."
''Surely that county and city must
have their proportion OF capable men,
haven't they?" questioned one.
Yes, there are legion of smart, in
telligent and efficient men, capable of
Identifying any Office in the gift of the
state" was the rejoinder, ''but they
can never gain recognition from the
fact that they are eternally handicapped
by the swarm of pestiferOus supplicants
for every petty appointment. In fact,
ever since Jim Baker was elected rail-
road commissioner and selected Eli
Warner as his private secretary, the
mission of the twain have been
to float themselves upon the
wave of popular favor. by keeping
the cOunty's quota of appointments
filled with their own henchmen and
plant tools, many OF whom are close re-
lations, thus debarring men of brains
from that county just recognition"
speaker, "look at Judge Severance,
man, Willard, Hubbard, Foster, Wise,
and a host of others, who stand the peer
of any of our representative citizens,
and none of whom would wallOw Suffi-
GENTLY deep in the mire to crafty the
demands of those whose hands are
throttling their county and city'S inter-
est, and consequently they are kept at
home. While on the other hand, look
at the appointments from Blue Earth
county and see if they are representa-
tive men. First, there is Eli Warner,
clerk of the railroad commissioners,
who, through the grace of Jim Baker,
and an accidental diSpenSatiOn of prov
idence, in being elected One-term
representative, and who subsequently
endeavOred to hoist from the emOlu-
ments of a lucrative Office the man who
gave him his first taste of political pap.
Next is James, chief grain inspector of
the state. What has he ever done for
his party to merit the position that pays
salary equal to one of the suprem e
court judges, and which should, in JUS
tice, be occupied by the most practical
Judge of grain in the state. James oc-
cupation was formerly carpenter,
until he was engaged by the county
treasurer of his county some years ago
to assist in making the December col
lection of taxes, since which time he has
suddenly bloomed into heavy stock
holder in Colorado mining company,
and part owner in large cattle ranch
in Montana; dabbled occasionally i'll
ward politics. and finally landed in fat
office, for which he draws his monthly
stipend with commendable regularity.
Then look at the multitude of small fry
credited to the same county, filling po-
sitions as grain weighers, and all under
the dominion of Baker, James and
Warner, not for their personal ability
or fitness, but because they can get
their township caucus to elect them del
egates to the county convention, where
they easily become the suppliant tools
of their masters. The roll call shows
that Blue Earth county has furnished
as grain weighers: A. +. Ewing, one
who sold his proxy as delegate to the
state convention last fall for $40 bill
and his present position; S. II. Hustled,
whose chief qualification is loud mouth.
Then there is Ellsworth Warner, brother
to Eli; Evans, cousin to Eli; Frazier,
an uncle to Eli; Frank Hoel, brother-in-
law to Eli; Arthur James, son of the.
chief inspector; Ferguson, nephew to-
Jim Baker; all appointed probably
under the superstition that when you.
have good thing keep it, Then there
is Bliss, and George Latin, who gradu
ated in the political school by being dep
uty sheriff one term, and Walter Vim
cent, ex-deputy sheriff. But enough.
Now, with this list of appointments be-
fore you, can you wonder why Blue
Earth county can gain no recognition
worthy of her position?" The party
brains TO the adjoining thirst factory,
simply remarlling: Il see! I ssew